Sunlight and glare can adversely affect driving safety, especially when sunlight is directly impacting within a driver's field a vision. Sun visors are in common use, however, very frequently are found to be inadequately limited in size and maneuverability to be effective shields. Furthermore, presently available sun visors are disadvantageously limited to the front seat of a vehicle, such that rear seat passengers are left with no option.
Sunlight also can have an adverse impact on a parked vehicle. For example, it is known that the interior temperature of a parked vehicle increases dramatically in a very short period of time. Not only does this render the interior very uncomfortable for reentry by the passenger(s), but, over time and upon repeated occurrence, damage to interior components may occur. For vehicles parked in direct sunlight, these issues are further magnified. As a result, many drivers seek to park in a garage or under a shade tree; however, many times, parking under some form of a sun barrier is impossible. Traditional vehicle visors are of essentially no effective use for such a situation. That is, front, back and side windows are not protected from incoming light by conventional sun visors. With particular reference to the front windshield, where traditional sun visors are installed, full protective coverage is nonetheless not provided thereby. Therefore, it is generally recognized that the deployment of a sun shade upon exiting the vehicle can serve to protect the exposed interior surfaces from potential UV damage, as well as to lessen and/or slow the heat build up inside the vehicle.
Many types of sun shades have been described. Common issues render many of these designs disadvantageous. For example, most shades require storage within the passenger compartment during periods of non-deployment, yet the size and shape prevent out-of-the-way placement. Another common disadvantage is the necessity for manual deployment by the vehicle operator. Many times such deployment is forgotten because the shade is out of reach and/or view, and other times the shade is simply ignored, either due to a hurried schedule or lack of desire to complete the task.
In order to overcome these disadvantages, sun shades have been developed with mechanical deployment. Each of these systems, however, is also disadvantageous in view of the present disclosure. For example, necessary support frames are primarily dimensionally limited, resulting in inadequate and/or unequal window coverage and preventing effective use in some windows entirely. Many are potentially subject to structural failure according to frame design. Additionally, known frames remain exposed when the shade is deployed, creating an unsightly display, and posing potential risk, especially to children, should they become curious with little fingers in and about such mechanisms during exit or re-entry to the vehicle.
Therefore, it is readily apparent that there is a need for an automobile sun shade that is easy to deploy and to store, that is strong, safe and effective for long-term use in essentially any vehicle on essentially any window, that can function as an adaptable and beneficially adjustable sun visor while a vehicle is in operation, and that is essentially adapted for use on any side of any window at any time and in any direction, thereby avoiding the above-discussed disadvantages.